1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus for receiving the identification information of a partner- station, and performing a communication operation in accordance with the received identification information.
2. Related Background Art
As a conventional apparatus of this type, for example, a facsimile apparatus receives a procedure signal upon connection of a line with a partner station. The procedure signal received from the partner station includes information such. as the name and telephone number of the partner station. The telephone numbers of partner stations are registered in advance in a memory of the facsimile apparatus, and the facsimile apparatus checks based on the procedure signal if the received telephone number is registered in the memory. The facsimile apparatus permits facsimile reception from only a partner station registered in the memory, or rejects facsimile reception from a partner station registered in the memory. Such a facsimile apparatus is known.
However, the above-mentioned facsimile apparatus can only make selection as to whether or not a facsimile communication is performed.
On the other hand, some user""s commonly use a single telephone line for a speech communication using a telephone set, and for a facsimile communication. Thus, in order to obviate a user""s operation for manually switching the telephone line between a speech communication. and a facsimile communication, the patent applications (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,800,439 and 4,677,660) in which a facsimile apparatus detects upon connection of a line whether or not a signal associated with a facsimile communication is received, and automatically switches the telephone line between a speech communication and a facsimile communication, have been proposed.
However, in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent applications, since the facsimile apparatus-must monitor a received signal for a predetermined period of time, a relatively long time is required until an actual speech or facsimile communication can be started.
As a service of a telephone office, a service for informing the telephone number of a calling station between adjacent calling (or ringing) signals (Ci signals) upon reception of an incoming call is available.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication apparatus which can switch a telephone line between a speech communication and a data communication within a short period of time in consideration of the above-mentioned situation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a communication apparatus which allows an efficient registration process of reference identification information of a partner station.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a communication apparatus which registers received identification information of a partner station as reference identification information.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.